Freedom is a Gilded Cage
by WeLonelyOldSouls
Summary: Discontinued. Being rewritten as Nox Battalion. A man once said, "Only a Sith deals in absolutes." Problem is, He was wrong. The Force is like a river. It has two sides. It also has a middle. Just try not to drown, my young padawan. In which a more realistic Galaxy is attempted. Clone wars Canon Pairings
1. Jetsam

"New orders: take out the garrison leader here." My commpad buzzed; the message scrolling across my feed. _Damn, I knew this mission was too easy for the asking price. At least I'm being compensated for the added risk. Plus, you know, I can demand more for them upping the severity._ I walked to the ventral hatch of my ship and cycled the doors. Did I really want to do this? I could always back out. Go home, contract declined. Or, I could turn on my employer; drop a lead on the garrison doorstep. I'd come this far, I had no other choice. I left a command to R-Qu0, the inborn personality given to the ships interface, which had mutated and grown into its own system.

"Stay hidden unless I call. In that case, raise hell." My pad buzzed once more as he acknowledged the transmission. Mission was a go. I took a breath, and then slapped the cycle control. Without a warning, as I had designed it, the seal broke and slid apart. Water rushed in. My armor flash sealed, the pressure sensor shooting up before leveling out. 1400 meters. Deep enough to still be in darkness, too bright for most of the predators. Thank whomever.

The Primary labs, my initial target for scouting, were still far below. The Mandolorian garrison however, was on the surface. I swan upwards, not trusting the ballast packs on my armor. Slowly, light began to trickle in. The first mark of the station I saw was a massive floatation pack. It was what held the station aloft. Sadly, the order came with a stipulation, no unnecessary casualties. So, I couldn't just detonate the floats and pick off survivors who floated up. No, I had to waltz through a base on lockdown, kill one of two men, and slip out unnoticed.

I pushed off the float, rising to the next level. The framework of the station was too fun a target not to attach something to, as a precaution. A few blocks of thermal paste, hooked to a closed circuit fuse, and I had an exit strategy if things got to looking like a wookie. I swam upwards, breaching the surface at a point below the main hub. And of course the walkways weren't anywhere close to the surface.

Sadly, jetpacks and water do not work well together, and force leaps only take one so far. The kaminoans rode some sort of Ray around on the surface, which meant that there had to be a way up other than catching a glider. A blinking light caught my eye, and I dove back down towards it. It was an access panel, opening a chute that ran off the rainwater form the platform. Useless. Unless…

With an idea in mind, I reached into one of my pouches. Contained within was a reel of thin line. It wasn't easy to create an isolated attraction force between the end of the line and a metal spike, while hovering under water in a continuous storm, but the work paid off. I ran the access flow backwards, leaving the metal caltrop in the flow. In a small and hopefully unnoticed geyser, the spike flew out of the walkway and embedded itself somewhere. I threw the line into the air, which was high enough for the attractive forces to take root, and reconnect the circuits. I tugged on the connection, making sure it was stable. I threw myself upwards, climbing steadily. I reached the edge of the walkway, and hoisted myself atop. Strangely enough, there was a republic scout ship on the end of the pad. I shrugged off the weirdness, and slunk over to disengage my line. I yanked the barb out and shoved it back into my armor. No one would notice the scratch on the red paint, right?

Quickly, I slipped away from the intrusion, headed for the main lifts. My armor looked Mandolorian enough to pass the kaminoans. They wouldn't notice the lack of clan tag. As I neared the lift, I noticed that the actual platform was elsewhere. Even more curious. Rather than take the main path, which was barred for the time being, I looked around. There was a service chute nearby. I ran for it. I heard the ping of the lift doors opening as I closed on the hatch. In desperation, I **shoved** it open. Hiding in the semidarkness, I dared to peer out.

Striding across the bay was an older man, clothed in fine clothes. Rather than being an easy mark, something told me he was dangerous. I burrowed further. His path took him close to my hiding place, which didn't make sense. There was nothing over here except …

He winked at my hiding place, and I knew the game was up. Finally, I remembered the reports I had heard of the man. He wasn't a prince, not a king. Not a baron but a… count. Count Dooku. Sith lord, former Jedi. Wealthy beyond compare. If he knew… He held up a small remote, showing it to me. It was similar to the one I had linked to- the platform shook. Dazed form the concussion wave that had been generated by the tight shaft, he **reached** out and pulled my saber to him. He gave a tight smirk and strode into his ship. The moment he was off the surface, the engines roared, and he was gone. My head pounding, I barely had the presence of mind to call R-qu0.

"R-Qu0, there's been trouble. I need help. Protocol Delphi. Things are going to be messy." Delphi was the FUBAR button. It meant that there were no restrictions. Survival, at any cost. I quickly left my hiding spot, certain that Dooku was the same man who had hired the bounty hunter alpha here. Fett. He knew I was here. And, he had the pull here to get the clan to intervene. If R-qu0 didn't come soon, I was going to be flayed alive.

The first target that appeared was a rookie. His helm was off, and his comm was locked. He may not have even known that there was an alert. Still, he had a weapon, which made him a threat. I tightened my breath, and leapt the crate I was behind. The small blade I had palmed flew true, and he didn't make a sound as it spun into his eye. _One down, ten thousand to go._ The next target was much more prepared. He was indeed canned and ready. He stepped from the lift firing. I was in the midst of dodging blaster bolts when the ground below me exploded. My last sight was Jango, bar armor, holding a single shot rocket launcher, still smoking. Something felt different about him, off. Blackness rolled across my vision, obscuring everything.

"—council that I'm following. Thank you R-4." The voice, whoever it belonged to, commanded respect. It gave orders, others followed. A few beeps in reply, _Droid._ I denoted. I groaned softly.

"So would you mind telling me what business a bounty hunter has on a forgotten planet _?" Not soft enough_ , I bemoaned.

"Not really." I volunteered, rather cheerfully. Betrayed by ones faction, one tries to refrain from making enemies.

"Hmm." He grunted in disapproval. _Oh well, can't please everyone._

"Either way, I have to thank you for the space. It is cramped in that little tin can they call a stealth scouter." _Now warm, softer_. He was trying to get me to talk.

It wouldn't work.

"You're lucky I don't press charges on that scratch. Scratching a Jedi fighter is a serious offense." My eyes opened at that. _Jedi?_ _Crap._

"Yeah, no problem. Let say, it wasn't my decision." A beep came from the ship intercom.

" _Traitor_." I hissed back. I was on my ship. Evidentially, R-Qu0 had interpreted my Delphi as permission to contact my enemies. It amused the Jedi that the two droids had been in communication since they both entered range. I did not see it so nicely. Without my saber, I couldn't take this Jedi. I had to go to Coruscant, where I would be questioned in full council, of my role in the disaster. Absolutely lovely.


	2. The trial of 11

Coruscant. While being the center of galactic politics, it was nowhere near pristine. While the individual planets capitols gleam, the center of the republic stinks. Coal burning is still a valid source of power. Coal. This is the government that oversees massive planetary organizations, and is the head of the galaxy. And they use fuels that went out of style before the hyperspace wars. It's sickening. A greater reminder of the evil of bureaucracy you will never find. The crown jewel, the Jedi temple, quick approached in the viewport. No matter how powerful the Jedi were, they still deferred to the coruscant traffic authority. And, and, _**public**_ transit. Public. Yes, all powerful and mysterious warriors of an ancient art dedicated to fighting evil wherever it was, and they paid bus fare. It was criminal it was. And I was dragged through it by that droid. Rqu0 was going to get a few modifications when I returned. Maybe a restraining bolt or two. Certainly a protocol manipulation.

As it was, the transport stopped at the temple front steps. The tourism droid started spouting off the ancient and noble history to the temple and the order, but I paid it no mind. Obi-wan waited until all of the tourists were offloaded before finally allowing us to step off. I had to focus as the R-4 unit I was attached to navigated the steps. I was careful not to let him know of my force abilities. This whole thing would be much more difficult then. Finally the r-4 and I were off the blasted thing. I grumbled as it hovered away. The tourists took one look at my scowl and avoided me. _Wise choice._ I thought. Obi-wan laid a hand on my shoulder and nudged me towards the entrance to the temple. I gave one last look at the suns through all of the coruscant haze and sighed. Interrogation it was.

The main hall was impressive, but indefensible. Waay too many open spaces. Not enough cover. Down the main hall there was a pair of padawans training with practice blades, a whirl of blue and yellow light flashing between them with strained crackling as ozone combusted. One threw out a hand, **pushing** the other away. He used the **push** to backflip off the wall, coming down from above on the first. The first one ducked his slash and blocked again. Sensing us, they both halted in their actions and turning to Obi-wan.

"Greetings master Kenobi. Did you find your hidden planet?" One teased. Sweat dripped off of them and their blindfolds. The training sabers hissed with contained energy, zapping any beads of sweat that fell on them.

"You'll find out when Yoda announces it." Obi-wan chided, leading us past them. I could feel their crystals calling to me. The tight lattice, the energy straining to be free. It took all I had not to **reach** out to them and ease their suffering. As we kept walking the tightness shifted to a burning on the back of my head, and a muted snap-hiss come from behind us.

'… 's not working. Is yours?" one of the two called out. I winced. That would be fun to explain later.

Obi wan guided me into the inner chamber, where the council was assembled. He looked at Yoda. Yoda looked at Plo. Plo looked at Mace. Mace looked at his feet before cursing under his breath and throwing a credit chip to both Yoda and Plo.

"…sensitive? Leave it to him. Only one who co…" Mace's quiet but colorful and inventive cursing was almost covered by Yoda's first question.

 _Irritated, suppressed anger_

"Force sensitive you are? How could this be? Missed you, did we?" He probed, gesturing with his stick.

 _Contemplative, ancient_

"How did you know?! I haven't touched it since Kamino." I asked, shocked. This wasn't something I had known.

"Oversee enough younglings, a sense you will pick up. Now, missed you we did not, hmm?"

"Yes, grand master Jedi. I was indeed found by the Jedi Order. I just never made it to the temple. Any of them." I responded evenly, holding my head high. I had nothing to hide, nothing to fear. Outwardly, that is. Inside, I was cowering, hyperventilating, trembling with fear and rocking from my master's betrayal.

"Your aura is tempered. Who trained you?" Plo led the next question; a casual **probe** turned away by wrapping my aura around me.

 _Questioning, resolved. Crafty._

"I would normally say it was none of your business. And I hope you don't make a habit of trying to feel under girl's robes, master Koon. A brief snicker came from the behind me.

 _A hint of laughter, veiled grief, acceptance of duty_

"No, you knew him then as master Syfo-Dyas. Now, you know him by one of two names. Darth Tyranus and…"

"Count Dooku." Yoda growled. So he wasn't happy about his former apprentice. Not altogether surprising. Betrayal always hurts.

 _Shock, pain, irritation_

"So you do remember. Good. He always wondered. Rarely spoke of you, but you could feel that he wondered. It always tickled on his aura when he was recalling his training." I added, painting a sympathetic picture of my old master. _Old habits die hard_. I cracked down on my stray thoughts.

"You trained under a dark lord?" Plo was on me again, this time without the accompanying probe.

 _Inquisitive, concern_

"Was trained, briefly, yes. I was passed around to many teachers, given missions and assignments." I agreed, adding detail. If you always give them something, they don't push you for the real stuff.

"Then you are an enemy, our sworn foe. Your life is forfeit by our ancient rites. Why should we not do our sworn duties here and now? Despite your many masters, you have indeed trained under a dark lord. After his fall. You are tainted by his evil." Mace added, pushing my story. Well, most times they don't push.

 _Anger, justice, a hint of fear_

"Didn't your master teach you moderation, master Windu? Where is that Jedi compassion? Or have you fallen so far from your tenants, that you abuse those rites you hold so dear? Have you blinded yourself with idolatry to where you cannot see the people you walk over? Those whose lives you ruin? How many corrupt institutions have you propped up, because they asked you to?" I countered, pushing back.

"Why you-" Mace growled, reaching for his saber.

 _Fear, hate, anger, bitter taint of power._ I gasped.

" _I can feel your hate, and it is_ _ **Delicious**_ _."_ I thought, feeling a surge of darkness, a shadow blossom in a room full of light. It sung to me, pulled at my own connection, tenuous as it was. It wanted me, wanted to claim me, mark me as its own again. I resisted its pull. As quick as it came, it vanished. I knew it would return, however.

"Careful master Windu, or you'll prove her points right. You'll turn our enemy into a martyr; a noble sacrifice against a corrupt power." Master Mundi cautioned. The dark Jedi settled back in his seat.

 _Wisdom, concern, camaraderie_

"The time for ideological debate, this is not. Accused you are, of being Sith. How plead you?" Yoda, to my regret, recentered the council.

 _Amusement, conviction, age_

"While I do not abide by the light, I am **no** Sith. The dark lords can fight over their empires. There is no place in their galaxy for those undevoted. Compassion, justice have stayed my blade too much for their ideals. Nor can I accept your cruel path of self-denial. I have not the inner strength to conform to such an exacting and uncompromising standard. I cannot be one of you. I will walk not in the light or the dark, but the greys between. I will not fight for an ideal. Ideals dull: tarnish. Thoughts change over time. Yesterday's rebel is today's freedom fighter. A fact you all can't seem to see. The galaxy is not stable, not unified. We, as force users, are a group of vastly diverse people, brought together by a few common talents. We will not agree; we will not have peace. Change, conflict is the way of life, the trial of progress. Standing still will only get you buried in your temple." I finished, looking around. The council was not happy, was not capable of deciding at this time. There were those who had heard my words, who had seen my message; that the Jedi order was too old fashioned to survive the coming times. Others were stubborn and rooted in their beliefs. They were the bulwarks against my message, they would seek to endure and survive. They would be worn away by both time and the tide.

"Enough." Mace Windu stood eyes harsh and locked on mine. _**MiNe.**_ "You speak a good game, witch, but we shall see who you really are." A hammer blow came at my aura, smashing into the ethereal barrier. The council sat by, watched as he hammered blows to my defenses. He had brute power on his side, and was not afraid of damaging me to get what he wanted: unferreted access to who I was, really.

I dodged and deflected as many of his hits as I was able, but my defenses were fading quick. Cracks were showing on my aura, jagged spikes on my connection. His blows came quick, hammering on the shields I had made. I shook with the strain of holding him off. None in the council looked sympathetic to my plight. Unwavering, indifferent to my pleas. To them, I was not a Jedi. They owed me no loyalty, no sympathy. I may or may not be an enemy, but it didn't matter. I wasn't one of them. That was all that mattered.

Anger rose within me, the bitter taint of darkness I had come to know. _**My prEcioUs.**_ I could hit back. He wouldn't expect it. A proverbial knife between the ribs, retaliation to this torture. I swallowed it back. If I gave into the darkness now, they would execute me. I would prove them right. I would be a Sith. Shadows danced on the edge of my vision. The blows kept coming, the attack relentless. My limbs shook from the strain. He was dripping sweat, eyes locked on mine. I knew at that moment, that he was not going to stop. He was going to destroy me. Annihilate who I was. Leave me an empty shell. He would call it a mistake, act ashamed. He had done it before. He was going to kill me, before the entire Jedi Council, and get away with it. At that moment, there was nothing to stop me.

I **reached** out. They had been calling to me the entire meeting, hinting at their masters. Lightsabers ignited all around the council, burning through robes and cutting chairs. Blue and green and yellows illuminated the suddenly dark chamber. All eyes were fixated on Mace and I, my flickering resolve against his unyielding onslaught. My own eyes were drawn to a somber purple blade, inches from my foot. As I watched, the color shifted shades, intensifying, growing stronger. The purple grew brighter, slowly shifting to more and more red. I was almost entirely drained, my defenses all but shattered. Mace drew back with a ruinous grin. This was the end point. It had been nice being me, as short as it had been. I'd miss R-Qu0, traitor or not. No one else would miss me. I'm a ghost, no one knows me. No one cares. My last sight was that baleful blade, shaking off the last vestiges of blue. It burned a malignant, pungent red. I smirked. Martyr indeed. I had the satisfaction, if only for an instant, of knowing I was indeed correct in my judgment. The council was not as pure as they wished others to believe. It was a secret I paid for with my life.

 **WHAM**. My shields fell, my soul laid out for all to see. The end had come. Goodbye, cruel world. I can't say I'll miss you.


	3. The Event Horizon

_**AN:/ Still no reviews, I see. Shame. Chapter four may take longer than I had hoped. Reviews drive inspiration people! I'm not withholding Chapter 4 until i get a number, I'm just letting you know it may take longer. Other stories, other ideas, other inspiration. Tis life. That said, enjoy!**_

 _ **My Precious, why did you not embrace me? I could have spared you. You could have ruled over them all. You're adept enough to fool them. You could have killed him, shown his red blade. They saw what that was, or they better have. They're fools. You are no fool. You could have been a god! Perhaps, I misjudged you. Yes, I have indeed misjudged you. You are a fool. You turned from me. You had good reasons, but you still TURNED FROM YOUR MASTER! TRAITOR! BETYRAYER! YOU ShAll SuFfEr!**_

Pain. It was all encompassing, all consuming. I was no stranger to it, no It and I were old friends, good friends. We talked, flirted, teamed up. We had our fights, our arguments, but we knew each other intimately. In this case, pain was dominating. I couldn't allow it to win this match. I had to beat it back, if only to keep the score even. Hell, I had to keep my lead on it. Me: 3.7, It: 2.3, now 2.4. I lost it.

She was still an unknown. There was still disbelief that Obi wan had come back with _another_ force sensitive that was too old. Many wondered who would train this one, since he still had a padawan. The girl, if she was who she appeared to be, deal with enough shape shifters and you never assume, had faced the council. If the rumors were true, she held off Master Windu. Even the younglings knew he was intense. She was still out from the interrogation. There was confusion over the lightsabers activating suddenly, her words as to the Jedi' fate, how she acquired her skills, what faction if any she represented. She was a mystery. She had no records in the galactic medical archives, and only had the barest of matches with a colonization effort that vanished over three hundred years ago. She was to most a mystery. Master Yoda knew better. He could feel the balance she held. He had seen enough in his times, to know that she was a turning point. It worried him that he had not seen any warning of her or others like her through the force. They were shrouded, by the dark side, or more terrifyingly, by the light. He observed once a cycle, clicking with his stick into the isolated medical room, and leaving soon after. Every day, every cycle. Click, click.

It came back, seeking another round with me. I was stronger this time. Better equipped. When it lunged, I seized it. I drove it into the dirt. I mounted it. I **beat** it into a pulp. My lead, my record was maintained. Good. For the first time since waking, I smiled.

It was on one of those days that Yoda felt something shift. It came in the ripples of the force, during his meditations. It was unclear as to what exactly caused the disturbance, but something had agitated the serenity of the temple. He moved in his actions the rest of that day, a little quicker.

Arriving at the room in which the force adept was quarantined- er, quartered, he found his stone that had hit the pond. He could feel the steps of a Jedi, one that confused him greatly. Young Skywalker was across the galaxy, protecting Senator Amidala. It was one of his final tests, test of attachment. If he could keep himself grounded in his training, not giving into his desires, he had only one or two more trials to go. Yoda focused on his connection to the living force. Indeed, padawans Skywalker was still across the galaxy, but wasn't on Naboo. He was on… Tatooine? Why was he there? The girl gave a weak moan, which distracted the master from his ruminations. Putting the confusing presence of Skywalker behind him, he focused on her.

She was still weak, still recovering. Mace had indeed broken her. Obi-wan had stopped them, bursting through the door. Mace had broken her defenses, but before any could **look** at her, Obi-wan reminded them of who they were. He reminded them of what they stood for. Yoda advised them not to try and see her soul just yet. An invasion of privacy, on that level, was tantamount to rape. While he would condone such actions on Sith, who deserved nothing better, Obi wan reminded them that she was not Sith.

She was not seeped in the dark. She was stained, yes, dotted with a cancer of sorts, but so were some of them. Her attacker was arguably the worst affected. Mace had still to regain his discipline enough to return his saber to its old purple. It wasn't the same red it had been, but it was not as blue shifted as he liked. She shook slightly on the cot. It was only a small shiver, but it promised more. It promised that they had not broken her completely. She was still someone. How much damage they had done, was still debatable. Yoda did a quick breath exercise to regain his focus, and reign in his drifting thoughts. He tapped back into the force, trying to see what was happening to her.

She was alive in the force, it was certain. It moved on her, settled on her limbs. Currents wound through her body, sluggishly restoring, healing. The epicenter of her disturbance was worrisome. It appeared, in the force, that somehow, Skywalker had touched her spirit. Not invasively, but rather in greeting. This probe of light, containing a glimmer of who and what he was, had awoken something. Amazingly, it appeared that Skywalker's greeting had healed. Young Anakin had shown no prowess in healing, no aptitude what so ever for it. It was one of the few courses he had failed, along with negotiation. Obi-wan could work on his negotiating skills, but healing was different. Either a Jedi had it, or they did not. Anakin had displayed no healing abilities before. It was in all likelihood that he would have no ability in the art when he returned. Perhaps it was a fluke, or perhaps it was a test of the force. Yoda resigned to not push too hard into it. Either it would resolve itself, or it would not.

Still, that healing had done something that no one predicted. Anakin's probe of light had set off a ripple of darkness. It was unprecedented, but his light had been consumed by her, and returned as a weak pulse of dark. More frightening, was that the darkness was healing. Yoda was not ready to have yet another truth of the Jedi and the force proven false.

He had known, as all Jedi knew, that the light side heals and defends. The light was more a protector, a sentinel. It was not offensive, was not an aggressor. It was a reluctant combatant. A doctor who had to perform violent surgery. Conversely, the dark was more sinister in nature. It was ambitious, aggressive. It had its strength, had its power. It was seductive, possessive. It was jealous. It was a crusader, a warrior. The dark was not comforting, not soft. Rather than the clouds, it was the lightning and thunder. Children feared it, ran from it. Some were terrified of it. They had good reason. Yoda knew this. He knew that in all the records, no Sith lord had ever utilized healing powers. It simply was the antithesis of their abilities. Yet, the evidence was before him. She was healing herself by darkness. Yoda paused in his thoughts. Could she be more than just an adept? Could she be….

No. She wasn't special, wasn't destined for greatness. She said it herself. She was no leader, no follower. She was a survivor. It wasn't great power he was observing, only something no one had seen before. Unprecedented, rather than unique. Unobserved, rather than impossible.

Click, click, click. He left the room, seeking his own quarters. Disturbing, this was. Time, it would take to solve this puzzle. Tired, he was. 874 years he had been feeling. Rest, he would. Rest…

Through the hurt, I opened my eyes. It was bright, wherever I was. I knew I couldn't be in an afterlife, not one this bright at least. Unless this was my torment, in which case They seriously needed to rethink this. I had worse while I was alive. Seriously, punishment on the other side had been worse. This was a vacation. Slowly, the scene adjusted. My vision cleared, and after a few tears and painful blinks, I could see. Mostly. It was still blurry, and parts were fading in and out of focus, but I could make out where I was. Thankfully? Regretfully? I was alive at the Jedi Temple. Probably a healing room, though, since I saw no healer and no monitoring equipment, I wasn't being treated. Only held.

Annoyance, anger swept through me. I levered myself up, pulping Pain again. A room, mostly bare. The air tasted stale, which meant few if any visitors. There was a film of dust on the floor, meaning that the cleaning droids were barred from entering. There was a window, but it was magnetically pressure sealed. Difficult to dislodge, even if one had the force with them. Which I did not. Yet. Outside, was a billboard advertising some model of speeder. It was a flashy, sporty yellow. It looked nice. I closed my eyes for a moment, but something told me to open them again. I relooked. The billboard's display fritzed, static crawling over the image. A flash of symbols came across it. I tried to smile, but only half my face responded, lifting into a creepy lopsided sneer. R-Qu0 did have my back, still. Somehow. There was hope, if fleeting. I laid back down on the cot. I needed to heal. Yesterday. Escaping was infinitely harder when you're injured. Escaping Jedi took hale, and lucky days.


	4. Hurry Up and Slow Down

The room had grown stale during my stay in it. Once I was conscious again, they brought food. It was bland, tasteless. They told me it was standard fare at the jedi cafeteria. I saw no reason to disbelieve them. Master Yoda stopped by a few more times. He inquired to my abilities, but I was resolute in not helping them. Damn the jedi! So called guardians of the light, noble warriors who fought for what was right. I had known they were not so, but it still hurt to see it happen. Much like being aware of a cheating lover, and then catching them in the midst of an encounter. Very different hurt. Master Windu tried to see me, tried to apologize. I may have called up force lighting to fend him off. Or, I tried. All I could pull was some static. I guess the greatest irony was that my gift that had drawn the attention of the jedi had doomed me to them. Then, once I finally met them, it was taken from me. Yes, Master Windu's assassination attempt had taken my force abilities. I could no longer feel the living force. At least, at first.

After a few weeks of meditation, I felt it for the first time. It was weak, I was weak. I could barely hear it. As I grew stronger, as I learned, it bled back. My healer, a young apprentice, suggested half-heartedly that they lock Mace and I in a room together. It would heal me, and hopefully solve the issue. Master Yoda, thankfully, voted it down. Instead, I got a padawan, and a youngling to help me. Tano, as I was told to call her, was helpful in teaching me the jedi way of sword play. The strict forms, the graceful arcs. Before we set rules, I showed her what it meant to fight.

"Alright, miss, are you ready?" Tano shouted, cautioning me to her attack. I resisted rolling my eyes, barely. She gave a slow swing, like one would to demonstrate the form. I swayed to the side of her slow swing and kicked her sword away. Her yelp was like music to my ears. I grappled closer, bending her leg into a painful position as I levered above her. She growled, **pushing** me off and springing to the side, **calling** for her saber. I rolled into the push, easing the impact. Her leap at me was almost laughable. Sure, she wasn't acting like I was a youngling, but she gave up her position too easily. She flew up, I prepared, she came down, I sprang out. My leap took me past her charge, but my trailing boot couldn't help but slam into her face. I landed into a crouch, but she bounced off the floor. Remarkably, she kept hold of her lightsaber, but she clutched her broken nose. I faked having landed wrong, clutching my ankle. When she ran over concerned, I hyper extended her elbow and stole her lightsaber. Spinning her around, I held it to her throat, my other hand on her neck.

"I think I win." I whispered in her ear, pushing her away. I turned and walked to the door, throwing her lightsaber back as an afterthought. "Head to the healers. And learn some real tricks."

After that, they restricted my sword practice. Until that is; She showed up. Padawan Taillow. She was in the final stages of padawanship, almost done learning from master Plo. She returned having to learn one last lesson, how to be one with your enemies. Evidentially, Plo thought I was a good enemy. He wasn't entirely wrong.

"I here to teach you how Jedi meditate." She said, bursting through my door. She dropped her pack on the bed, and plopped into the 'proper' meditative form. "What are you waiting for, come on!" She demanded, when I didn't immediately follow. I slowly slid into the same form, body protesting at the strange contortions I was making it do. Her roughness eased out as she led me in the calming exercises. It had a soothing effect, after all. When she tried to get me to reach out to the force, I couldn't. It was like the bridge that connected me to the rest of the galaxy was under renovation or something. Every probe I sent out fell into the abyss. Taking this as a failure, she refused to give up. Mercilessly she pushed me to connect. My muscles ached, and all I contacted was a headache. Eventually, I snapped at her.

"Look, this isn't working. Thy to be a Jedi, not a Sith about this!" I hissed, yanking one eye open. She gave a long, heavy sigh.

"I was afraid of this." She said calmly. I did not expect her to begin her assault at that moment. She tackled me, held me down, and proceeded to jab at nerve clusters. I rolled around, trying to dislodge this heathen. I let out shrieks of pain and cries of terror. What had I done to provoke this? I returned fire, stabbing at her own nerves. Suddenly, in the midst of the brutal siege, I **felt** something. Someone was coming. She felt it too.

"That had better have helped." She warned. "Now resume pose."

"You are aware that the pose does absolutely nothing to help you connect to the force, right?" I asked, finally understanding why she insisted on the torture.

"You're kidding me." She deadpanned.

"Nope. Do you think master poof could bend his neck like that? It's rubbish. On the trip here, I has the honor of seeing the great jedi obi-wan meditate. You want to know how he was positioned?"

"How!" She demanded.

"Like this," I said, laying back on the bed and imitating snoring. She busted out laughing.

"I cannot believe this. Really?"

"Yes, really. Legend says that it was started by Count Dooku, right before he left. It's true. He told me about it in a brief point of levity. I can't believe it's still around!" I exclaimed.

"Announcement: Youngling Tano is approaching." The barriers droid announced. We shared a look.

"Miss, I'm back. I convinced master Windu to-" She falls silent at the display. Between the two of us, we have the room hovering and swirling, with us in the center, still in that infernal position.

"Thank you Tano. And thank you, padawan, for showing me that super-secret meditation form. It sure helped me regain my force abilities." I said, bowing to each once the room had settled.

"Wow. That- that actually works?" Tano is incredulious.

"Indeed." I reply, giving her a light **push.** Her eyes open even wider, and she scampers back to her crèche.

Taillow's eyes meet my own, and we burst out laughing.

"Mater Plo will have my head for that." She groans through giggles.

"Blame it on me, after all, I am a Dark Lady." I say, dimming the lights.

"If anything, you're a dark lazy! You're not that bad. I'll see you around." Taillow confesses. We smile, and she walks off. I settle on my bed. Things are looking up.

Little did I know, it was only the calm before the storm.

AN:/ Next stop, Genosis! (If all goes as planned.)


	5. The Skies are Falling

My abilities trickled back, and I progressed in learning to be a Jedi. Or at least, faking it. It wasn't difficult in the slightest to fool anyone less than a master of my 'conviction to the light.' Still, they kept me isolated, quoting that I "couldn't be trusted yet." I was growing frustrated, growing angry. I wanted to walk outside, to taste the smog or feel the weak sunlight. Anything would be better than the blandness of Jedi.

It was yet another day in the cycle, I was deep in meditations. I was feeling the force's flow, could see the energy pulsating through everything. Then, spikes came in the force. In slow motion, the waves got larger and larger until the alarms broke through my trance.

" **Attention: Protocol 17 has been activated. All Jedi heed the summons to the docks. Master Yoda has found the Sith. They have a senator and two Jedi. All hands needed for a rescue. This is not a drill. Protocol 17 is in effect. All-"**

The door to my cell swung open, and the field deactivated. Master Mace stood outside of it, looking very unhappy.

"Master Yoda says this will be your test. If you pass this, you will be allowed free. I will be watching you for any treachery. One wrong move, and you will be seen as a Sith." He warned.

"Keep your shirt on, you'll have no problems. What is it you need me to do?" I replied, brushing past him.

"You will be flying transport to Genosis. Master Yoda requires us to be there. Your ship is in bay 14. Master Obi wan was kind enough to store your gear there before he left. Fly to the planet, drop off the troops, and be ready to defend your ship." He powerwalked in the other direction, his mission, no matter how distasteful, complete. I scoffed at his orders, but followed the crowd to the docks.

There she sat, my little slice of the infinite. She wasn't pretty anymore. The Jedi had seen fit to remove most of the armaments. No matter. She was more than enough. I leapt up to the access console and hit the door release.

"Unauthorized access prohibited. Lethal countermeasures engaged. Repeated attempt will result in destruction."

"R-qu0, it's me. Open up. We've a mission." The panel flew open.

"Lady Andromeda! Your wish is my command." He replied, firing up the preflight checks and boot sequences.

"We can't quite go yet. We have passengers." I cautioned. Reluctantly, the engines powered down.

"Passengers." He deadpanned.

"Why so melancholy? After all, you were the one who invited the Jedi aboard." I teased.

"You called the Delphi." He retorted.

"Knock, knock, is this bird Genosis bound?" a familiar voice called cheerfully.

"As long as no maverick clips her wings, yes she is Padawan." I called back from the cockpit.

"It's Jedi now, actually." Taillow replied.

"Really?" I asked disbelievingly, "Master Plo, you really passed her?"

"Let's say it was time she moved on. Before one of us cracked and fell to the dark side. Or drank the last cup of coffee every day." He chuckled.

"Hey!" she protested, whirling on him. "I was most definitely ready for the trials."

"Sure, sure." He agreed. "As long as you had your caff." She mock growled at him before turning to look at the armor case.

"Whoa. This is your armor?" She asked, almost reverently.

I toggled the controls to R-qu0 and walked back. "Yes. It's the best thing I've ever received from contract. The Beskar alone is worth a fortune."

"Beskar?" She asked.

"Stops lightsabers." Master Plo said, "Mandolorian metal. I thought the mines closed?"

"Mostly." I said, dodging the question.

"Dropping out of hyperspace in two. Prepare for evasive action." Rqu0 said.

"Strap yourselves in. This not going to be fun." I warned, returning to the pilot's seat.

The lights beyond the outer console began to beam, the swirls coalescing into understandable patterns. The final drop came when we hit the gravity well of the system. One moment, we were in deep space, the next: Orbital warfare.

Droid ships were targeting and firing as soon as they had solutions. Thanks to the force, most of our meager fleet were not hit. The warning and reaction time meant that most could clear the blasts and lasers. Not all were so lucky. There were too many of us for any real evasive maneuvers, so a few ships were hit and exploded into balls of flaming gasses and flash frozen corpses. The force reeled in the death that was taking place. The nearly placid lake was whipping into a fury. The tempest above, sadly, was only growing stronger.

"Lock has been achieved by no less than seven vultures and three control ships." R-qu0 announced calmly.

"Plan theta should do well, shouldn't it?" I replied, flicking a few switches.

"Indeed. Are you sure you remember how to restart the ship without me? It will take some time for me to reengage control." He said.

"Trust me, I'm a Jedi." I teased.

"Of course, master Gungan." He whispered back, powering down.

"What's plan Theta?" yelled Taillow. Wisely, master Plo was meditating, while also strapping himself to the wall with the other restraining nets.

"Cold drop from orbit. The droids can't target dead ships." I called back, powering off more and more systems.

"What's that mean?" She added.

"It means, hold on." Master Plo answered, **grabbing** her right before I pulled the last switch. Immediately, everything went dark. Outside the viewport, we could see more ships arriving. Most were making it through. The viewport got brighter as we hit atmosphere. The air outside started to combust. Suddenly, we lurched and bounced off a pocket of denser gas. From one to the next we fell out of the sky. A midair explosion went off, throwing us into a spin. Up down up down left down right up sideways. While hovering in midair form the freefall I kicked the switch on again. The crash protocols engaged, the ship flipping right-side up again. I popped the rear hatch.

"This is your stop." I shouted over the wind. We were decelerating, but only just. The ground was still approaching very quickly.

"Are you crazy?" Taillow shouted. Master Plo calmly untangled himself from the crash webbing and leapt from the hatch.

"If I die, my ghost will haunt you forever!" she promised, preparing to leap out. The ship hit another piece of turbulence and she fell out the back hatch with a scream. I closed the hatch and returned to the front. R-qu0 was almost back to operational capacity. It would be close, but we would not be a crater in the sands. The engines straining, we pulled back up into atmosphere. There was a dogfight to win.

"Rqu0, arm the ventral batteries. I want targeting online. Close all auxiliary vents, I need thermal plume active. These droids are going down."


End file.
